12/12/2020 the lyric letter: december 2020 issue

12122020 The Lyric Letter December 2020 Issue

httpsmailchimpa01d4089413bthe-lyric-letter-may-issue-9403232e=[UNIQID] 113

Hello to everyone We have an excellent Board ofDirectors that has been working hard despite thechallenges that Covid has thrown our way

We will keep you informed in advance of any plannedvirtual activities Covid has limited our activities and weare adhering to the Governorrsquos request in order to keep

everyone safe Thanks to Wendy Cogdal our VP of Education and to CherityKoepke of Opera Colorado we enjoyed an excellent virtual Opera on Tuesdayfeaturing the young apprentices from Opera Colorado

Wendy is now planning another virtual Opera on Tuesday - more details will besent out soon

Welcome to our new CommunicationsNewsletter Chairperson - Ian Caiozzi -thanks to him for stepping up and producing this newsletter

Kathy Van Arsdale and her competition committee are planning for a virtualcompetition this year Very detailed precautions are being taken for safety ofthe committee members competitors accompanist and judges There will noaudience present But the finals will be livestreamed from the church so wecan watch them from the comfort and safety of our homes If you do not have acomputer try to connect with a friend or relative who can help you enjoy thevirtual activities

Try to enjoy your time staying safe at home listening to good music Keep your



distance wear a mask wash your hands and keep that sneaky nasty virusfrom getting to you Try calling one or two people each day just to say Hi andto lift their spirits and cheer them up

If you have any questions feel free to call me at 303-424-2641 If I donrsquot havean answer I will find out for you and call you back

Deanna Leino President

Our Mission

The encouragement and support of young singers and the continuing

educations of members in the appreciation and knowledge of opera

2021 Competition for Colorado Singers Update

Supporting emerging singers is vital during this season of COVID Artists of alltypes are among those hardest hit professionally and economically by thispandemic Offering Colorado singers hope for the future via a goal and acompetition even during tough times is important

The DLOG Board approved a smaller 2021 Competition for Colorado Singers



event due to COVID at their October meeting Events will be held at CalvaryBaptist Church and organized on site by a few DLOG members By limitingthe number of DLOG participants the competition becomes safer Others maywatch the events live streamed on a variety of devices Thirty candidates willparticipate in the Preliminaries (no live stream) and 15 in the Finals (pleasewatch) Our Louise Conter Master Class will also be available via live streamto DLOG members students university faculty and the general public Theillustrious Dr Robert Harrison returns to facilitate this Februaryrsquos Master Class Our marvelous collaborative pianist Dr Jeremy Reger of CU-Boulder rejoinsall the events

Following the University of Colorado Boulderrsquos safety protocols all events willfeature extreme social distancing fresh air breaks to allow the air to settlehourly bathroom cleaning required masks for singers (ldquoThe Singersrsquo Maskrdquo)temperature checks at check in changing performance positions on stage andhigh level air filters to protect performers sound and webcast crew DLOGmembers working at the event and our judges Using these protocols nobodyat CUrsquos College of Music has acquired COVID You need not worry Yoursquoll bewatching singers at the Master Class and Finals on our new YouTube channelin the safety of your home Many around the world can also tune in For thefirst time friends and family professors and roommates can see the action as ithappens The Finals performances by candidates will also be recorded for theirfuture professional use

Events Dates (Times TBD) Master Class Saturday February 13 Competition Prelims Saturday March 6 Competition Finals Saturday March 20

By continuing to offer the Competition for Colorado Singers duringextraordinary circumstances we do incur extra expenses for technicians tomake the YouTube presentation possible We appreciate your support of thecompetition and young Colorado singers Enjoy their performances

For any questions please contact

Kathy Van Arsdale Van Arsdale Studio kathyvanarsdalegmailcom (303) 770-1612



DLOG Honors our Competition Award Donors by Lisa Curtis VP of Development

The members of DLOG are grateful to the foundations and Guild members whoso generously fund our Competition awards Without their philanthropy therewould be no Competition

Galen amp Ada Belle Spencer Foundation 1st Place and 4th Place Awards Galen and Ada Belle were legendary in Colorado for their generosity Galendied in 1970 and Ada Belle established their foundation in 1982 Thefoundation provides grants to opera companies higher education vocal musicprograms and entities that support young peoplersquos musical efforts and training Ada Belle was a Contralto and by age 23 had sung on an exhaustive lyceumtour and studied in Chicago Cincinnati and Paris She was an opera favoritein Chicago and Philadelphia in the 1930s and 40s and was offered a positionwith the Met Opera Ada Belle opted for love and married Galen in 1946moved to Colorado in 1951 and together they had a full life with Ada Bellepursing her music interests and Galen his love of sports Ada Belle and Galenparticipated in DLOGrsquos annual ldquosafarirdquo to San Francisco Opera performances The Guild appreciates the generous support of this foundation since for manyyears

Kenneth King Foundation 2nd Place Award From childhood until his passing Mr King was heavily involved with Denver-area philanthropic groups His passion for philanthropy carried through in hispioneering work in the loan industry making home loans available for thosewho could not otherwise obtain them Helping others especially those lessfortunate than himself was important to Mr King Toward the end of his life hewanted a way to continue to give back to those in need and the communitiesthat gave him so much so he founded the Kenneth King Foundation in 1990 tocontinue his life-long mission of philanthropy He placed high value onindividuals with a solid work ethic and the drive and initiative to improve theirlives The foundationrsquos current mission is to create opportunity for Coloradoansto reach their fullest potential for self-sufficiency through access toentrepreneurship meaningful employment basic needs and an improvedquality of life The foundation has generously supported the Competition since2011 giving our young singers a springboard from which to launch successfulopera performance and vocal teaching careers DLOG is most grateful for the



continued partnership with the Kenneth King Foundation

Myrle F Hoffman Memorial 3rd Place Award This award was established in 1999 by Carol Hoffman to memorialize herbeloved husband who Carol says ldquowas tone deaf and the award is the closesthe ever got to musicrdquo Carol has been a DLOG member since the early 1990sserving as President in 2014-15 and ldquoloves the Guildrdquo She is devoted tosupporting the Competition saying ldquoFirst because music is my big love andsecondly because it is very difficult for young singers to get a start especiallytodayrdquo Carol grew up on a grain farm in North Dakota and was a First Sopranoat Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church for many years DLOG is most gratefulfor Carolrsquos enthusiastic generosity Shirley amp Marlis Smith 5th Place Award Shirley was President of DLOG in 1984-85 and again in 2000-2001 She wasinstrumental in producing the very first Competition for Colorado Singers in1985 In addition to her support of DLOG Shirley was a three-term trustee ofthe Santa Fe Opera and a two-term president of the Denver SymphonyOrchestra Conductorrsquos Circle She also served as a Lamont Society Councilmember Lamont School of Music University of Denver supporting youngmusicians and as an Opera Colorado Board member with special interest inthe Colorado Young Artist Program and the Opera Colorado OutreachProgram Marlis has always supported Shirleyrsquos passion for the arts andestablished this award in 2017 to memorialize his beloved wifersquos dedication toDLOG We are honored that Marlis continues to be involved with the Guild andother opera and musical arts programs His philanthropy is greatlyappreciated

Bernard Polak Memorial 6th Place Award Bernie and Mary Polak supported the DLOG Competition awards from 2002 ndash2011 as a memorial to Maryrsquos sister Helen Nepp Socolofsky After Berniersquosdeath in 2012 Mary changed the award in memory of Bernie Mary had beenan opera performer as a younger woman and was active in DLOG events Sheand Bernie always participated in the Guildrsquos opera tours to San Francisco Mary and her son Lloyd Sweet through the SweetPolak Charitable Fund aregratefully recognized for their long-time philanthropy to the Competition

Sherry Shepherd Sargent Memorial 7th Place Award Dr Frank Sargent established this award in 2016 in memory of his belovedwife Sherry had been a member of DLOG for many years and had a great



appreciation for music Frank continues to be a dedicated supporter of theGuild and says ldquoSherry believed young singers had to have a chance to get theeducation and training they needed to be successfulrdquo

Dr Frank Sargent Family 8th Place Award Frank recently established this award to honor his children and grandchildrenwho had learned their own appreciation of music from Sherry He has alsoadded funds to the Honorable Mention awards kindly stating that theydeserved an increase DLOG is honored to have Frank as a devoted friendand generous donor

A Message from Cherity Koepke Director of Education amp Community

Engagement Opera Colorado

Were now ten months into the Covid-19 pandemic that has reshaped ourworld Many are struggling The performing arts are too which I know will notbe news to anyone reading this article Some arts organizations have closedtheir doors some are stepping away until they can come back to their theatersand some are trying to re-envision how to connect with their communitiesduring this time Artists have been hit hard losing contracts and wages thatthey rely on to support themselves and their families Some have gone morethan ten months (at the writing of this article) without performing for anaudience Thats almost unimaginable

At Opera Colorado were weathering the storm as best we can I work with themost incredible group of people Wersquove moved ahead being as positive andproactive as possible It hasnt been easy but wersquore figuring it out Our way of



working and creating opera has fundamentally changed How Herersquos asnapshot The Opera Colorado Artists in Residence began their contracts onOctober 1st There were countless things that had to be put in place prior totheir arrival Health and safety protocols had to be met PPE had to be securedmandates had to be understood and the ability to follow them ensuredBecause opera singers have such incredible power in their voices the theory isthat their expulsion of air is greater than that of the average person Thegeneral 6-feet apart rule doesnrsquot apply to us We have other rules andguidelines to follow As the Director I must be 25-feet away from them Theymust be 15-feet apart from each other and no more than two singers arepermitted to sing in a room at any one time That means no trios no ensemblepieces Itrsquos only solo pieces and duets right now Masks always must be wornunless you are the artist thatrsquos singing Temperature checks health screeningchecklists airing out the room what seems like constant cleaning ndash the listgoes on For an art form like opera that relies on collaboration the challenge isimmense But itrsquos a challenge that wersquore embracing because it means that weget to create In a much different way yes but we get to create art that we canbring to you our treasured audience We know just how lucky we are when somay of our colleagues canrsquot say the same

To date there has been little to no financial assistance available to artists andartistic organizations Many artists have left the field out of necessity Many aregetting by and holding on But through all the sadness and the loss brightspots have emerged One of those bright spots is you the members of theDenver Lyric Opera Guild Your support has kept us going and helped us takeon the challenges that wersquore facing

Irsquove had the honor of conducting a Master Class in conjunction with thecompetition for the past two seasons so Irsquove been able to see first-hand thekind of support that this organization offers I want you to know that through thecontinuation of the Denver Lyric Opera Guildrsquos competition yoursquore sending amessage to artists A message that says you will be there supporting themeven when it gets difficult A message that lets them know that their work isvalued This year that message is needed more than ever Thank you for allthat you do Know that itrsquos noticed Know that it matters Know that yoursquoreappreciated

Cherity Koepke Director of Education amp Community Engagement Director of the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program



Opera Colorado

Caitlin Moore the 2020 Competition Shirley ampMarlis Smith 5th Place Award Winner

ldquoMagnifique talent vocal et dramatique (La Presse) and aplomb anddistinction (Opera Canada) exemplify mezzo-soprano Caitlin Moores elegantand confident stage presence in both concert and opera Caitlin was the fifth-place winner for the 2020 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Vocal Competition third-place winner for the University of the Northern Colorado 2020 Southard MusicCompetition and a national semi-finalist for the National Association ofTeachers of Singing (NATS) 2018 National Student Auditions

As a vocal pedagogue Caitlin has served on the voice faculty of CovenantCollege and Chattanooga State Community College As the 2020Distinguished Graduate Voice Student Award Winner Caitlin is currentlypursuing a Doctorate of Arts in voice performance with a secondary inpedagogy at the University of Northern Colorado with Dr Melissa Maldewhere she teaches diction courses and voice lessons Caitlin received aMaster of Music in opera performance at the Schulich School of Music McGillUniversity and a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education at LeeUniversity She was certified in all three levels at Shenandoah Universityrsquos CCMVocal Pedagogy Institute in 2019 and attended New England ConservatoryrsquosAcoustic Vocal Pedagogy and Teaching Technology Workshop in 2020 as a



Lee University Young Alumni Grant Winner She is a dynamic advocate for artsoutreach having served with such organizations as The Glimmerglass FestivalLOpeacutera de Montreacuteal Opera Tennessee and the Tennessee Chamber Chorus Caitlin is a current member of NATS

Like all of our award winners Caitlin had many 2020 engagements cancelled orpostponed due to COVID-19 including the role of Stephano in Romeacuteo etJuliette with Opera Fort Collins and the role of Fiona McLaren in Brigadoon withLoveland Opera Theatre Other operatic credits include Susan B Anthony inThe Mother of Us All (University of Northern Colorado) Frasquita in Carmen(Chattanooga Symphony amp Opera) Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly(Chattanooga Symphony amp Opera) Helena in Brittenrsquos A Midsummer NightsDream (Opera McGill) both Lauretta and Nella in Gianni Schicchi (OperaTennessee and Lee University) the title role in Barabs Little Red Riding Hood(Lee University) Miss Pinkerton in Menottirsquos Old Maid and the Thief (LeeUniversity) and Fatima in Chadwicks Tabasco (Chattanooga Symphony ampOpera) You can view several performance videos on Caitlinrsquos website including Lescontes dHoffmann by Offenbach Chiquitita la novia by Obradors and Peoplefrom Jules Stynersquos Funny Girl at a socially-distanced outdoor concert forLoveland Opera Theatre Click here to viewlistenhttpswwwcaitlinhammonmoorecomrecordings

Competition Past Winners Page Updated

During this time when we cannot meet for Opera on Tuesday and listen to ouryoung singers perform for us in person we can entertain ourselves with musicfrom many of our past winners Lisa Curtis and Ian Caiozzi have researchedand updated the website URLs and Facebook sites of Competition winnersfrom the past 20 years Updates for winners from 1985-2000 will come soonThe listings include the top 10 winners and by clicking on those whose namesare in red you will be taken to their information sites DLOG members shouldfeel honored that so many of our winners have achieved opera stardom or highachievement as vocal teachers and pedagogues Read about our winnersrsquosuccessful careers and viewlisten to their performance recordings by clickingon this link httpswwwdenverlyricoperaguildorgprevious-competitions-2019-2001



Donating your IRA Distributions to Support the2021 Competition

Please consider donating some of your Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)to support the Guildrsquos 2021 Competition for Colorado Singers IRA holdersage 70frac12 or older can donate to DLOG from your Traditional or Roth IRA(including inherited) tax-free Checks must be issued by December 31st inorder to apply to the current calendar year If a Money Market check is writtenit will apply to the year in which it is cashed by the charity

1 Contact your investment or financial advisor to request the funds beissued from your Traditional or Roth IRA as a QCD You will need todiscuss liquidating securities if the account does not have cash andormoney market funds available

2 Checks should be made payable to Denver Lyric Opera Guild andmailed to PO Box 339 Englewood CO 80151 Notify Lisa CurtisDevelopment VP that a check will be issued and asking for a mailedreceipt to you upon DLOG receiving the funds

3 Keep the receipt for your records



Any amount you wish to donate is greatly appreciated Thank you DLOG and its members do not provide tax or legal advice Review this withyour tax advisor or legal professional for information regarding the taximplications of the above information

In MemoriamRosemary Priester (Nov 13 2020) Rosemary served as President of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild 1986-1987 Shewas born July 1 1927 and was a big supporter of the arts

Harry Williams (Nov 17 2020) Beloved husband of Julie Johnston longtime DLOG member passed away Nov17 2020

Donations in Memory of Rosemary or Harry May be made by sending chack to DLOG PO Box 339 Englewood CO 80151

Also donations may be made on the DLOG website Ignore the membershippart of the form and enter the amount in the Donate in Memory eld

Musical Moments Online



Metropolitan Opera on Demand

Opera Colorado Website Opera Colorado archives oer multiple wonderful snippets from past

productions On YouTube check out their latest post featuring Soprano

Cecilia Violetta Lopez in their Pagliacci production

The Everything Will be Okay Podcast Everything Will Be Okay Its just a pandemic that has closed the entire

performing arts industry Cancelled gigs amp online opera are apparently

the new normal and singers just cant help speaking moistly Jenna

Simeonov creator of Schmopera and host of The Everything Will Be Okay

Podcast is checking in with out-of-work artists

The Aria Code Podcast The magic of opera revealed one aria at a time With your host Rhiannon

Giddens

Events Around TownNow through December 25 Our friends at the Central City Opera Guildare hosting a free Holiday Home Tour of the historic Fisher Mansion alongwith with performances by Central City Opera Touring Artists Make sureto check it out by visiting

lesprithometourcom



DENVER LYRIC OPERAGUILD

PO Box 339 Englewood CO 80151

Copyright copy 2020 Denver Lyric Opera Guild All rights reserved

Want to change how you receive these emails You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list



distance wear a mask wash your hands and keep that sneaky nasty virusfrom getting to you Try calling one or two people each day just to say Hi andto lift their spirits and cheer them up

If you have any questions feel free to call me at 303-424-2641 If I donrsquot havean answer I will find out for you and call you back

Deanna Leino President

Our Mission

The encouragement and support of young singers and the continuing

educations of members in the appreciation and knowledge of opera

2021 Competition for Colorado Singers Update

Supporting emerging singers is vital during this season of COVID Artists of alltypes are among those hardest hit professionally and economically by thispandemic Offering Colorado singers hope for the future via a goal and acompetition even during tough times is important

The DLOG Board approved a smaller 2021 Competition for Colorado Singers





































Opera Colorado





































Giddens


lesprithometourcom











































Opera Colorado





































Giddens


lesprithometourcom








































Giddens


lesprithometourcom







12/12/2020 the lyric letter: december 2020 issue

Documents